


Transatlanticism

by wano



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Character Interpretation, Fluff and Angst, Heavy Angst, M/M, Pining, Symbolism, a couple cute moments though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-02-22 20:55:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23933605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wano/pseuds/wano
Summary: And Sanji realized, there was no ocean without him. No vast reefs or rocky coasts. No fish down below nor harbors nor homes. No salvation remained for those who were seeking to follow their dreams or be free. Somewhere along the line, Luffy had become the endless sea. And Sanji was caught in the storm.
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 17
Kudos: 117





	Transatlanticism

**Author's Note:**

> i dont even know what this is anymore but. take it

When Sanji would make breakfast during the morning on the Sunny, Luffy would often be there, watching the way he cooked. At first, it would always annoy Sanji.

“What are you making? Can I have some? Is it delicious? What’s that!” Luffy asked.

“Something. Later. Yes. It's the food I'm making. You really have to ask all these questions?” He swore Luffy was always talking.

“Tell me more! How do you know what to do?” 

“It’s from years of practice and hard work,” Sanji responded, continuing to shake the pan while he fried some vegetables.

“Did you know I used to cook for Ace and Sabo when I was tiny?”

That caught Sanji’s attention. He smiled softly. “Yeah? And what did you make?”

“I’d put bugs and mud into a big mishmash bowl and Ace would get so mad at me! And Sabo would want to eat it to make me feel good but then he always felt sick afterward..?”

He sighed. “Sanji…..I don’t think I'm a good cook!”

Sanji was laughing, though. “What matters is the message behind the food.” 

He wondered what it was like to be able to grow up with people who loved him and what he cooked. He was sure that Luffy’s little brothers tried to treat him with kindness anyway, or maybe with a bit of tough love, from what he’d seen. But at least Sanji now had people that loved him and his food.

Sanji started looking forward to these little conversations they’d have while he was cooking.

“Why do you put the eggs in last?” 

“Well, it goes on top of the other ingredients.” Seriously, did he have to spell it out for him?

“Why is there so much flour!”

“You expect me to make a cake without it?”

The other thing was Luffy would ask for samples. All the time.

“Can I have a sample?!”

“No, Luffy.”

Luffy fell on his knees and begged him. “Sanji! Please! I need it. Please! I have to be Pirate King! I have to eat!”

“You can wait until breakfast with the rest of the crew to be Pirate king, you idiot.”

“Nooo I can’t!” Luffy rolled on the floor. He couldn't believe _this_ was the future Pirate King. The world wouldn’t know what had hit it.

There were times when Luffy couldn’t come watch him. He may have been asleep or injured in a fight. Those times were pretty lonely, he realized. He didn’t like silence.

He remembered how things were before Luffy had reached out his hand to him. Before he’d been able to open the Baratie with Zeff. That blinding silence, that cell dark enough to drive him insane. Luffy was the sun that shone on all of those harsh memories.

Luffy was the laughter heard at the edge of the conversation, The presence that could light up any room, Someone who melted the hearts of everyone who came to know him, and the reason that Sanji could get up and smile.

So when Luffy would come back, he’d leave a little sample.

On the house.

* * *

Luffy had always been in awe of the way Sanji fought. He thought it was so cool. So he tried to be like him.

“Hey! Sanji! How do I do the whirly thing!” He asked one day.

“The what?” 

“The whirly thing! Where you go upside down and kick people and stuff!”

“Look, I dunno, I kind of just, kick people, Luffy.

Luffy was doing a crazy handstand.

“Look at me!!!!!!!” He swung his legs in the air and flopped over. “Im Sanjiiii!” 

Sanji giggled. “I have way more style than that. After all, I’m a gentleman. All my kicks have grace.”

“I bet If you punched you’d look really cool.”

“I’d never do that!”

“I know.” Luffy grinned.

Later, on a frozen battlefield far away, Luffy was reaching for something important to him. He pummeled the marines with desperation, striking down everyone who got in his way.

There was nothing graceful nor beautiful about the way he kicked like there was when Sanji did. There was a sense of unevenness in all of Luffy’s actions. They showed no care for his life, only for his destination.

When three strong marine commanders had surrounded him, Luffy dove onto his hands, wildly swinging out his legs and striking them. Not expecting the blow, they doubled back while he rushed past them.

Unconsciously, Sanji’s moves had rubbed off on him after journeying with him for so long. But they weren’t enough. Nothing was ever enough.

Luffy woke up with a gasp next to Sanji. Luffy lay awake for a moment, but eyes were fixated on a different place and time. 

“Sanji.”

He turned his head to the side. “Yeah?” 

“I tried one of your moves once. You weren't there to see it.”

Sanji looked away and didn’t say anything for a while. There would always be things he wouldn’t know. That gap in space and time where Sanji had lost sight of him, where he couldn't be there for Luffy when he needed him.

“How’d it go?” He finally asked.

“Even with your power, I couldn’t protect what was important to me.”

Sanji was silent. He moved closer to Luffy. and leaned against his chest. Felt the scar with his hand, felt the weight of it and everything it symbolized.

“There are some things I’d never be able to protect, even if I used my hands. But if you use your hands and I use my feet, I think we’ll find there’s more we can protect together then when alone.”

“Yeah.” Responded Luffy.

And Sanji decided he’d stay. No matter where Luffy went, he’d follow. He’d be there no matter what, and never lose sight of the captain he loved ever again. He clenched his fist. It was a promise to himself, one he’d abide by with his life.

* * *

On a calm summer island, Sunny docked at the edge of the water. The crew was ecstatic to go out and explore a new place after several days at sea. 

“I’m gonna handle maintenance with Franky,” Usopp told everyone.

“And uh… I think Zoro is going to sleep.”

“Goodnight, Zoro.” Robin smiled. Nami and her were going to restock.

Luffy grabbed Sanji's hand and pulled him away from the crowd of the other crew members.

“What’s with those two?” Usopp asked.

“You’ll know when you're older, Usopp.” Nami teased.

“I-i’m like- the same age as you! And I already know what's going on, I was just making sure _you_ _guys_ knew.”

Robin giggled at both of them.

Luffy pulled Sanji through the bustling streets. This island was far bigger than they expected. The streets of the marketplace were paved in brick. Various stalls lined the edge of the town with colorful and fun designs. It felt warm and homely.

Sanji looked down at his hand in Luffy’s. He felt a rush of affection rush through him. It seemed out of place, but he liked it.

Luffy dragged him to one of the stalls. “Meat! I want this, Sanji!.”

“Hello.” The old shopkeeper asked. “What would you like?”

Well, it’s not like Sanji could resist Luffy’s charms (nobody could.) He asked for a meatball dish. It was some kind of foreign street food they had here. He’d have to look into how to make it later.

Luffy was so happy, eating next to Sanji while they continued to walk through the food court.

“Thank you Sanji!” He said with his mouth full.

Luffy’s expression was so genuine and heartfelt that Sanji couldn't resist getting him more. So the two explored every food stall together and got everything they could. Sanji just loved the way Luffy smiled brightly whenever he ate, and how he was filled with so much gratitude and pure joy that he couldn’t help voicing it. But he missed the warmth of Luffy’s hands on his. 

When they were done exploring the town they sat together on a cliff on the outskirts. They watched the waves and listened to the sound of them crashing. And Sanji moved his hand a little closer. But he was never the type to take initiative.

Luffy smiled and kicked his legs and Sanji sat there, words left unsaid.

Yet, just when Sanji had given up on the idea, Luffy placed his hand on his.

“Thank you for today!” He cheered. 

Sanji intertwined their fingers and felt his heart beat loudly. A blush crept onto his face. “Y-yeah.” 

They kept watching the waves together. Sanji made a mental note to think about this whenever the past caught up to him again. Luffy and him, holding hands together, warm and happy.

* * *

When Sanji first handed the dish to the starving Pirate on the Baratie, that was when Luffy knew he was perfect for his crew. A kind person with a heart of gold that was unmatchable.

So when Sanji saw all the starving villagers in Wano, Luffy figured it was hard for him. He knew that Sanji wanted to help cause that meant a lot to him! 

“Hey! Sanji. Let’s make food for all the villagers.”

“I want to. A Soba stand for everyone, maybe?”

The two set up a little stall, and using the ingredients they got(stole) from Kaido, they started making noodles for everyone.

“I! I don’t know how to cook! Gomu No…” He pulled his fist back. 

Sanji stopped him. “No, no, you can't punch the noodles!”

“But that’s how I handle all my problems!” He smiled. 

“I know.” He laughed. “But making Soba is different. You need to knead the dough much gentler.” 

Luffy was attacking it. ”You need to do it like this.” Sanji grabbed both of his hands, ignoring the heat rising to his face. He guided Luffy. “It’s all about the motions.”

Luffy watched intently, and then said, “Got it!”

He was still not doing it right, but he seemed to have understood the gist of it on his own. He was trying, at least. Sanji began chopping the extra dough into noodles. Working side by side felt nice.

Luffy freaked. “Ahhh! I got some dough on my hands!” He shook the blobby mess.

“Oh my god- Luffy, hand it here.”

“It’s eating me! It’s eating me!” 

Sanji managed to get the dough after some wrestling. Luffy apologized, but Sanji didn't mind. He was laughing, and then Luffy was laughing too, and that felt right.

The villagers had been alerted of the commotion and came out of their houses. They looked frail and weak, and Sanji felt a pang in his heart. 

He started cooking the noodles as fast as he could- he hadn’t multitasked this much before. Occasionally he’d check on Luffy, make sure he was cooking right, and his hands would linger on Luffy a little longer than necessary.

When the first batch was done, Sanji told Luffy to feed the villagers. “Remember to aid the women and children and the almost-dying first.” He mentioned. _But if I was in this situation it’d be you I fed first, it’d always be you._

Seeing Luffy sharing food with the villagers was quite a heartwarming sight- it almost distracted him from his cooking.

Luffy bent down next to a little girl and gave her a bowl of Soba, smiling like the sun. And the girl shyly walked forward. She ate slowly at first, then fast and ravenously and Luffy laughed with joy while the girl’s mother cried and thanked him.

They continued like this for a while- Sanji cooking and Luffy giving food to everyone. Some of them sobbed, some of them wouldn't stop thanking the two, and one of the villagers even hugged them. (it was weird for him, but Luffy liked it.) Being able to do good with the person he loved made him feel better than anything else.

And when the village was finally fed, they retreated to their own corner and ate a bowl of Soba for themselves.

“Wow! I'm exhausted!” Luffy put his hands behind his head.

“Thank you, Luffy.” Sanji ate happily.

“You know I’d do anything for you!” 

Sanji felt like he could cross the world for him.

* * *

Luffy was many things, but he wasn’t as stupid as people thought he was. He could understand that there were some times when Sanji wouldn’t sleep, where he’d watch the sky from the ship mast for far too long. His hands would lack their preciseness, his usual drive would falter, and there was something different in the way he walked. Luffy knew he was haunted by things he couldn’t perceive.

But if it was a question of making him happy, he wanted to do all he could. When one day Sanji was looking out the watchtower, Luffy climbed up to see him. He was smoking, but Luffy actually liked the smell. It told him his favorite cook was around.

“I like watching, too.” Said Luffy, going to stand next to him.

“There’s not much else to watch.” Sanji responded. “I can’t sleep.” 

“That’s okay! We can have a sleepover and watch the stars!” 

Sanji looked surprised. “Ah… Can we?”

Luffy smiled and started to climb back down. “I’ll get pillows and blankets!”

Sanji felt warm inside. _He’s just like a kid._

He looked out at the crashing sea while he waited. His mind had been stuck in dark thoughts again, and, like always, Luffy had come to set him free.

Luffy climbed back up the watchtower, but it was an issue for him to climb with everything he was carrying. Sanji smiled gently and helped him up.

Luffy spread the blankets and pillows all over the lookout. “This is the biggest blanket! I got it just for you.”

They lied down together, watching the stars. “I used to do this with Ace and Sabo all the time.”

“You must have been so happy. I was always alone- I spent cold nights on a metal floor more than once.”

Luffy looked surprised. He wasn’t used to Sanji being so open about his past, but he had a lot of emotion and sincerity in his voice. Luffy put his hand on Sanji’s. 

“Your past doesn’t matter! You’re with us now! Your family.”

A warm rush passed through Sanji like fire. What was happening to him, anyway? There were things Luffy said that made him feel so warm like he was melting deep inside. He looked into Luffy’s sparkling eyes. Sanji intertwined his fingers with Luffy’s. 

“Thank you.” 

He breathed, and it came from the most genuine, deepest part of his heart. He realized Luffy’s face was red. And he realized his face was red. This wasn’t supposed to be happening, right? He only liked girls, right?”

“Goodnight, Sanji.” Luffy rolled on his back and put the covers on himself.

Sanji stared up at the twinkling stars, his head filled with confusion, his heart warm. The space between them was physically painful, and Sanji felt like he could count every tiny centimeter.

_He was on the Thousand Sunny with his crew, his family. Nami danced and she was so pretty. Robin read her archaeology book next to Franky, who studied some mechanics. Chopper ate cotton candy. Usopp sang with Brook. Zoro was fast asleep. It was a normal day by any means, and nothing was wrong._

_But Luffy wasn’t there._

_And so Sanji searched all around them, all over the vast ocean._

_But Luffy wasn’t there._

_He fell to his knees. But a presence told Sanji that he wasn’t alone. Something brushed his head. He reached his arms to touch it and realized It was Luffy’s hat, who was looking down on him with a smile bright enough to blind him. And when Sanji saw Luffy, he was no longer afraid of anything._

_“Won’t you be my friend? Won’t you join my crew?” Sanji grabbed his hand. Luffy had shown him where he belonged. He wanted to see All blue with Luffy. He knew that like he knew that the seasons kept changing or the sea’s waves kept crashing. He grabbed Luffy’s hand, deciding that he’d follow him, even to hell._

_But the sea opened beneath him, and he fell back into that dismal, dark cell. He couldn’t get the mask off. All over again he was beaten half to death and he thought he would die any minute. So with all the desperation and force contained in his tiny, insignificant life, he reached out. And more than anything he wanted Luffy to grab his hand and save him from hell all over again. He wanted to hold him and never let him go, to become a part of him and forever live in his orbit._

_But he never found Luffy’s hand. He was on that rock again, stranded and alone. There was nothing to eat, only suffering in its purest form. The thought of food consumed him thoughts until he could no longer understand reality. Tally marks read of endless days. The sounds of the sea became so repetitive they could drive him insane. But Luffy destroyed the rock that held him prisoner, and again he was falling._

_He thought he saw earth and heaven when he fell, down past the floating island of Skyipea. The sound of the Ox Bell resounded in his ears. For a moment he felt he knew truth, like he’d read and understood the gap of time that the world had hidden. He knew what was yet to happen and the fate of everything he knew. He saw All-Blue, in all of its beauty and horror._

_There were fish with rows of jagged and cruel teeth, or large, flowing fins, or giant spines and scales. Some had strange shapes, were longer or larger than he’d seen in life. He saw colors and patterns he didn’t recognize. All of them were part of a greater whole. Sharks, octopi, flying fish, tuna, sea monsters, whales, orcas, koi. Every creature discovered in the sea from the tiniest plankton to the biggest sea king was there. And they were all just as alive as he was._

_But while he saw what lay in front of him, he couldn't breathe. He knew he shouldn’t be here because he couldn't reach the end of his dream without Luffy. He was a part of something bigger than this, the crowner in Luffy’s coronation, the loyal knight who bowed to his king._

_He had reached the end without him._

_So the Ox Bell stopped chiming and shattered into pieces and Skypiea returned to earth. Water 7 met the seafloor and Gray Terminal burned in the brightest blaze. That fire spread until it had overcome the whole world because Luffy wasn’t there. And nothing existed to Sanji anymore, not his dreams, not his family, not his life. He had reached the end of the sea and there was nothing left. The fish stopped swimming and the earth went still._

_The only thing that remained measurable was the space between his hands and Luffy’s. He could remember the way his captain had laughed in the sunflowers like he had never been broken. Or the way he stood on the top of the ship’s figurehead and reached for the sky, living free like a king. The way he screamed at Sanji to tell him how he really felt when everything shattered around him. He held onto the sheer feeling of hope that Luffy had given him, wanting to exist in it forever._

_And in that dream Sanji realized he loved Luffy and hated himself, and there was nor answer or moral to be taken out of it. There was no changing it, It may as well be an absolute truth. Maybe it was the answer he was searching for all along. The weight of that took over everything he knew until he was drowning in it. He no longer saw All-Blue or Luffy nor the sky, sea, and stars. Just his hands and the distance between the two of them._

Sanji woke up and saw the night sky.

“Hey Luffy?” 

Luffy was still holding him.

“I love you.” He said.

But the ocean was the only witness.


End file.
